The invention relates to fuel systems and particularly to diesel fuel systems, specifically to systems which separate, monitor, and dispose of water in such diesel fuel systems. More specifically, the invention relates to negative pressure or vacuum pipe diesel fuel systems for diesel engines in trucks, busses, boats, construction equipment, and all other uses of diesel engines, both mobile and stationary.
This invention is an improvement of the prior art Diesel Fuel Monitor System in U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,173, issued Oct. 7, 1980, and invented by the present applicant, Joseph H. Clark, said prior art invention operates only on pressure type systems where the fuel is forced through the contaminate separator device and will not eject water collected in the device when the fuel system induces the fuel into the engine system by suction or vacuum type means. The present invention overcomes this problem.
Water accumulates in diesel fuel storage tanks as well as in diesel fuel operating tanks on trucks, busses, boats, construction equipment, and all other uses of diesel engines, both in mobile uses and stationary uses. The water accumulates from rain that leaks into the tanks, ground seepage into tanks, condensation in tanks from moist air, and from other similar causes. It is to be noted that diesel fuel is specified herein, but any type of automotive engine fuel is included within the scope and intent of this invention.
When sufficient water reaches the engine parts that are critical in the engine operation the engine stops. In addition, in cold weather in winter or in areas that are habitually cold, the water in these critical engine parts, particularly in the engine mechanisms, such as the injector, the water freezes and prolongs the down-time of the engine. In these latter cases the mechanisms are often damaged by cracking or breaking the parts.
In regard to the above, it is important in completing the mission of the engine that it continue to operate, or be able to operate at a moments notice. Such completion of a mission might be the reaching of a destination by a truck or bus, reaching of a port by a boat or ship, keeping an emergency generating system generating electricity, the ability of an engine to start on command in a hostile environment, and other such situations.
A system of this type of the prior art is normally intended for inserting in the fuel line between the fuel pump of the system and the primary filter of the system. Such a system normally can be inserted after a regular mechanically operated pump or after an electrically operated pump. It should be understood that a pump operated by other means is within the scope and intent of this invention. However, such arrangements will not operate when the fuel is induced into the system by suction or by a vacuum or negative pressure. In such cases the system must be inserted before the suction or vacuum-type pumping means and normally before the primary filter of the system. The fuel is thus sucked or induced into and through the contaminate separator device. The details are discussed hereinafter.
Included in the system is a sensing unit in a device of the system that senses the level of the water which has been trapped in the device and disposes of it.
A test system can be set up to test the invented system by having both a water line and diesel fuel line connected from a water supply and a diesel fuel supply, respectively, to a pump which delivers water and/or diesel fuel to the inlet of the invented system. Valves in each of the two supply lines (water and diesel fuel supply lines) permit selectivity controlling a supply of water and/or diesel fuel to the pump. Thus a supply of water and/or diesel fuel may be varied in a zero quantity of either or any percentage of either to make up a 100% total of the mixture supplied, such as 1% and 99%, 50% and 50%, 99% and 1%, and other combinations.
In the system an alternating current (AC) is used across the terminals of the sensing unit instead of a direct current (DC). The reason AC is used instead of DC is because a DC flow of electrical energy will very quickly build up a deposit of insulating matter on one of the two terminals, whereas the use of an AC current keeps the terminals clean. The buildup of insulating matter on one of the two terminals by the direct current in due time, a relatively short time, soon stops the operation of the system. The use of an alternating current prevents such a problem by keeping both terminals of the sensing unit uncontaminated.
The AC is provided by a transformer in a set of logic circuits of the system.
In the prior art, when the level of collected water in the system triggers the discharge action, the pressure in the system forces the collected water out through a discharge outlet (a solenoid operated valve). In suction or vacuum-type fuel supply systems, if arranged as in the prior art, air would be sucked in through the solenoid valve instead of pumping out the collected water. The present invention overcomes this.
The system can be set up to operate in a 12 volt or a 24 volt system, or modified for any other type voltage system. The device involved is essentially the same in either case.
The important feature of this system is that it disposes of the water at frequent intervals as the monitor senses the level of the water at a critical point for disposal and automatically disposes it. Previously, in the prior art prior to the cited U.S. Pat. No. 4,227,173, the engine would stop and the water had to be drained manually from the low-point where it was accumulated. The present invention provides automatic disposal when the fuel system operates by suction or vacuum-type or negative pressure means.
It is to be noted that water has been specified as the contaminate, but it is to be understood that any electrically conductive contaminate is within the scope and intent of this invention.
This system does not replace the normal fuel filter, the system normally is inserted ahead of the filter.
It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a diesel fuel monitor system to monitor the diesel fuel for any water content therein.
It is another object of this invention to provide a diesel fuel monitor system that automatically disposes of water separated from the diesel fuel.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a diesel fuel monitor system that operates a sensing system that operates on alternating current to keep the sensing terminals clean of insulating contaminating matter.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a diesel fuel monitor system that has visual and audible alarm components which provide the status of the system in operation.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the light of the following description of the preferred embodiments.